The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge has launched an appeal to acquire Extreme Unction by Nicolas Poussin. The painting has been valued at £14million but has been made available to buy for £3.9million, due to a special government tax scheme. So far, ten per cent of the target price has been pledged – the remainder needs to be raised by November.
Extreme Unction (or Final Anointing) is one of the surviving Seven Sacraments painted in Rome for the scholar Cassiano dal Pozzo. It is a work of great art-historical importance by Poussin (1594-1665), a painter regarded as the greatest French classicist of the 17th century. It shows a dying man being anointed with oil, reflecting the rites of the early Roman church. The painting will be on show at the museum from September.
The Fitzwilliam will be working with The Art Fund to approach individuals, trusts, foundations, and the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to raise the funds. Individuals can also give online at www.artfund.org/poussin.
